Dancing In The Dark
by DaemonCat
Summary: Battle Royale fic. What if... Hiroki was looking for someone else...?
1. A Gamble

Dancing In The Dark

Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I own nothing, as usual. Battle Royale and all its glory belong to Koushun Takami, so go thank him. The songs Dancing In The Dark and Blood Brothers both belong to Bruce Springsteen. Oh, and don't even try to pigeonhole it between book, manga and novel, I took details from all three._

_We played king of the mountain out on the end,_

_The world came charging up the hill, and we were women and men_.

Shinji Mimura was wiping sweat from his brow yet again when they heard the footsteps. He was so alarmed he nearly dropped his side of the heavy crate he was struggling to carry with Yutaka Seto and Keita Iijima.

"Hey!" yelled Keita. "What's the problem?" The crate began to tip dangerously, but Shinji had more important things to worry about.

_Great, I'm stuck in this sodding Program with him_, he thought, irritated. He really couldn't believe that they weren't bothered by the prospect of someone approaching, even after he'd found them and told them about the bodies of Yoshio and Tendo he'd seen.

Luckily for his sanity, Yutaka seemed concerned, though only slightly. "Who's coming?" he asked, sounding as though it were only a matter of curiosity, and not potential death at all.

_Oh, of all the fucking stupid questions to ask_. It was only the fact that he had been best friends with Yutaka ever since elementary school that curbed his tongue. "I don't know," he said, as patiently as he could manage. But just as he was about to get his weapon (a handgun) ready, whoever it was came running up and grabbed Shinji's corner of the crate they'd shoved everything into. Shinji thought he recognised the figure, though he couldn't see his face. "Hiroki?" he ventured.

The taller boy turned his head and flashed a grin at him. He didn't speak, but inclined his head towards the crate, suggesting that they should get this settled first and ask questions later. Shinji nodded. _Thank God. Only Hiroki Sugimura_. He wasn't playing; Shinji could tell. For that one moment, he'd been so scared... (not that he'd admit it, of course). And for that one moment he'd felt completely out of control of the situation, like he couldn't even control his own body. Powerlessness was the thing he hated most in the world, and this was why he'd come up with this plan in the first place. So he'd probably never be able to tear down the government, as he'd once naively dreamed, nor would he be able to engage in the terrorist activities that had proven the downfall of his uncle. He'd have to make the best of this deal. He'd make them remember his name, even if he wasn't the sole survivor at the end of it all! Who wanted to be stuck with those memories anyway?

And now that Hiroki was here, he felt for the first time that his goal was really visible. Because, no offence to Yutaka, but he was pretty useless at things like this, and he just plain didn't like Keita. In fact, it was purely because of his faith in Yutaka that he'd agreed to work with Keita in the first place. Not that Keita did much work. Oh sure, he was okay for physical labour, fetching and carrying and what have you, but Shinji himself was doing all the thinking, and he knew he'd have to carry the majority of the technical stuff out. But now Hiroki could relieve some of the burden.

They were up the stairs now, and Shinji directed them to where he wanted them to put it. "A little to the left... closer to the wall... no, back a bit. Stop, put it here." All four of them gingerly deposited the crate on the dusty floor. "Right," he said grimly. "Now the real work starts." He practically dived into the crate and began to rummage, pulling out wires, a car battery and a laptop. The next twenty or so minutes were taken up by Shinji throwing countless orders at them, and then more often than not, dashing over to shove them out of the way and do the job himself. He had completely given himself over to that lightning-sharp mind of his, and only Hiroki had a hope of keeping up with him.

"No, no, no!" yelled Shinji, beside himself as he raced to Yutaka. Yutaka only just managed to throw himself out of the path of the demon, with a look of absolute fear on his face. "Not _that_ wire, dammit!" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "The _red_ wire." _For God's sake, it's always the red wire, Yutaka!_ "And move this closer, don't stretch the wire too far..."

Yutaka just sat and blinked at him. It was always best just to let Shinji have his own way when he was like this. Maybe Keita had realised this, or maybe he was just lazy, because he was sitting with his back to the wall, just watching them.

"Has he gone mad?" Hiroki asked Yutaka, looking amused.

Yutaka glanced at Shinji, who was still muttering furiously to himself and doing complicated things with wires. "No," he said. "He's happy, that's all."

Hiroki laughed, watching Shinji himself. Then the Third Man sat back and cried, "Eureka!" He'd obviously just finished whatever the hell he was trying to do. "She's all hooked up and ready to go!"

Hiroki and Yutaka exchanged glances and looked at Shinji, but he'd already moved on to the next thing on his mind. He switched on the Powerbook 150 he'd plundered from one of the houses.

There was an ominous pause, and the tension was almost palpable. Shinji was so tense Yutaka was sure he'd snap.

But the screen lit up, and the bright welcoming chimes sounded, and Shinji started to breathe again. _Thank God; it worked_.

"What are you doing?" asked Yutaka. He didn't sound worried, because he had complete faith in his friend. He was just curious.

"Nothing yet," replied Shinji, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Just making sure everything works." He didn't want to tell them yet and get their hopes up. The hard cold fact of it was: they were probably going to die doing this. Shinji wasn't stupid; he'd accepted that. But he wasn't sure about Yutaka (and he didn't care about Keita too much). Even after he'd heard of Izumi's death. Making promises on the spur of the moment while heartbroken, and actually pledging your life to something are two very different things. Even if he had really been in love with her...

No, he couldn't think about that, it was just a reminder of something he'd never had, and certainly never would now. Admittedly, he had time left, but he couldn't afford to waste any of it trying to find love. He couldn't even afford to think about what he hadn't got, only how best to use what he did have, to fuck up this sodding Program to the best of his ability.

"Shinji." Hiroki's soft voice gently coaxed him back to reality.

"Huh?"

"I have to go now."

"What?" Shinji was indignant.

Hiroki's lips quirked in the ghost of a smile. "I have to find Chigusa and Kotohiki. Have you seen them?" Shinji shook his head, and Hiroki bit his lip, looking troubled. "Dammit. If anything happened to either of them..."

Shinji nodded, slightly ashamed of his selfish intentions. "I understand." And he did. It was that 'love' thing again. That mysterious, seemingly untouchable thing that made people angry and sad, and made them want to risk everything on some random whim. Oh yes, he understood. "I'm sorry, it's just-" _Just what? "I wanted you to help me work this out so if we're lucky we can all die fighting?" Well, yeah._ But he didn't say that. "It doesn't matter," he said instead.

"Right." Hiroki sighed and got up. "I might see you guys around, then." Shinji's stomach went cold as he realised what this actually meant, but his face remained the same. He couldn't back out now; he'd chosen his path. "Take care," added Hiroki, and Shinji thought he was looking straight at him. But he didn't linger, and left without another word. He didn't look back, but Shinji got a strong urge to follow him. He got the impression that Hiroki had more to say. And besides that, he'd just beckoned to him, without the other two noticing.

_In the next instalment: What the hell does Hiroki want? I'm sure you can work it out. But you want to read it anyway! Read and review, if it's not too much to ask. And even if it is. Arigatou!_


	2. Playing Games

Dancing In The Dark

Chapter 2

_And what once seemed black and white turns to so many shades of grey  
__We lose ourselves in work to do, work to do and bills to pay._

Shinji didn't take his eyes off Hiroki's retreating back or the doorway as the door closed behind him. "Um, Yutaka... can you hold the fort? I need a break. I'll only be a few minutes." _Crap excuse, but hey. It's Yutaka. What are the odds that he'll question anything I say?_

As he had predicted, the trusting Yutaka didn't even blink. "What do you want me to do?" was his only reply.

"Just..." Shinji looked around. "No, don't do anything." The whole plan was safer that way. Not like Yutaka _could _do anything; he couldn't even type. But it was better to be safe, and this way, if Keita did anything... "I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay."

"Have the gun, in case anyone comes." And he tossed it at Yutaka, who, naturally, missed it.

Shinji practically ran out of the room, and almost fell down the stairs. He thought he heard Yutaka say, "It must be tiring, thinking that hard all the time," and Keita grunt in reply. _Bastard._ He was starting to wish he'd just shot him where he stood, but seriously, disliking someone wasn't a good enough reason to kill them. Now it was just a case of waiting for him to step out of line. Suddenly -

"Hiroki!"

Yes, it was indeed Hiroki. And Shinji had just run straight into him. "I thought you were going," said Shinji, picking himself up off the floor, and none too happy at having fallen over in public. "You were eager enough to leave."

"I am," explained Hiroki.

_Yeah, great explanation_, thought Shinji dryly, but Hiroki wasn't finished. "You know I'm going to find Chigusa and Kotohiki, right?" At Shinji's slow, puzzled nod, he continued. "I presume you know _why_ I'm looking for them, don't you?"

Shinji nodded again. Well, he didn't know for sure, but he could make a pretty good guess. Protecting the girls he loved... sounded like something Hiroki would do, all right. But where was this leading?

He was about to find out. With all the speed and grace developed through years of martial arts training, Hiroki lunged forward, seizing hold of Shinji's shoulders and slammed him against the wall. Shinji was too surprised to resist. But it dawned on him, and he was overcome by a desire to kick himself hard. He'd let his guard down, and he was wrong. Hiroki was playing the game. His eyes were dark and fierce, and he still pinned Shinji against the wall, as he said, in a low, quiet voice, "There's something I didn't tell you."

_No shit_, thought Shinji with a patience that belied the terror in his eyes. _I worked that out already. I was wrong; you're going to kill me. And I left the fucking gun with Yutaka._

"I was looking for you as well."

_Not the answer I was expecting_, Shinji conceded mentally, _but hey, who am I to argue? You're the one with the weapon, after all_.

Well, Hiroki wasn't going to find Chigusa and Kotohiki because of the 'love' thing then. Or was he? As far as Shinji was aware, love didn't involve killing people, but being as uneducated as he apparently was, who knew? And more importantly, who cared??

But Hiroki just took his left hand from Shinji's shoulder, and rested it alongside his cheek, tilting his head upwards. Then he leaned gently in, and kissed him. It was a long kiss, as kisses go, not forceful (despite the situation), more an asking-permission kind of kiss. Before long, as the shock of being kissed by Hiroki wore off, Shinji found himself kissing back. Then, as the shock of kissing Hiroki wore off, he found himself enjoying it. He closed his eyes.

It was definitely different from the playful, careless, passionate and empty kisses he'd shared with girls. This kiss meant something. And he wasn't sure if he meant it back, but that didn't matter yet. All that mattered was him and Hiroki, and seeing the moment for what it was.

Hiroki stopped, and stepped back, releasing Shinji from his grip completely. He was flushed red, breathing hard, and all the passion and power had deserted him. He looked like a scared fifteen-year-old boy, and Shinji wondered how the hell he had thought Hiroki capable of killing anybody, black belt in kung fu notwithstanding.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry!" He sounded panicked, and Shinji realised he was panting too. "I didn't mean to-" He covered his face with his hands. "I can't believe I just did that. I'm so stupid..." He turned around awkwardly.

Shinji stood in a daze, and blinked himself out of his stupor as he realised Hiroki was getting ready to bolt. "What?" he asked quickly and urgently, anything to keep Hiroki here as long as possible. "You didn't mean to what?" He swallowed. "To kiss me?" Stupid (and downright scary) as it sounded, Shinji would have been quite hurt if Hiroki hadn't meant it. Completely ignoring the fact that since the first time a girl had showed interest in him, all he'd done was screw with their heads and use them.

Hiroki looked even more flustered than before. "No - yes - I did mean it." He stopped, tried to calm down, and looked him defeatedly in the eye. "I didn't mean to - to offend you or anything, but I think you should know." He looked as though he was blinking back tears. "I think I'm in love with you."

Shinji couldn't speak.

"I figured you deserved to know before... before..." Hiroki couldn't bring himself to say it. "...Before something happens," he finished lamely.

_Well, it makes sense_, thought Shinji, still feeling like he was floating outside of his body. _All but one of us is going to die; what have you got to lose? At worst you'll feel bad for a few days before the end comes (how long do these sodding Programs last anyway?) and if the gamble pays off, you can spend some great last days. Win-win situation_._ God, that's twisted._

It might have been as a result of this thought, or maybe he realised what kind of opportunity Hiroki was actually offering him, or maybe it was a deeper reason that never crossed Shinji's mind at this point. But the reason didn't matter; what mattered was that he did it. "Hey, Hiroki," he said, feeling a flutter in his stomach. He wasn't sure whether this was the right thing to do, or even if such things as right and wrong existed anymore.

Hiroki looked at him piercingly. He looked defeated, but prepared to accept anything Shinji might say. Of course, he'd have to be, to take a huge gamble like this. He didn't speak, or try to defend himself.

"Come here."

_In the next instalment: We know what Hiroki wants. Now what the hell is Shinji doing? Find out in chapter 3 of Dancing in the Dark...R and R, as always._


	3. Beginner's Luck

Chapter 3

_Author's Note - Long chapter, sorry! Reviews welcome. People still don't belong to me, in case you were wondering._

__

_Now I don't know how I feel, don't know how I feel tonight_  
_If I've fallen 'neath the wheel, if I've lost or I've gained sight._

Hiroki hesitated before manoeuvring himself to face him. Shinji could tell, even with his school coat on, that his entire body was tensed up, ready for fight or flight. Some little part of him wanted to see him with the school coat off, but he ignored that. He walked up close to him, draped one arm round Hiroki's shoulders and placed his other hand on the small of his back, pulling him gently closer until their hips were touching. The electric feel of Hiroki's athlete's hips on his own spurred him on. This was what he was supposed to do. Hiroki relaxed a little, and Shinji began to kiss his neck, slowly caressing and massaging the warm skin with his lips, and sensing Hiroki's powerful, steady heartbeat through his tongue. Hiroki shivered in pleasure and sank into the embrace. Shinji felt him moan deep in his throat, low, breathless vibrations that sent a thrill running from Shinji's chest downwards. He gasped. _Right_ down.

He eventually pulled away, remembering how he had promised Yutaka he wouldn't be long. "I have to go," he said, still breathing heavily.

Hiroki understood, and nodded. But then he grinned. "You're bright red!"

Shinji was slightly worried about that, but he didn't let it faze him. "So are you!" he taunted back.

"Ack, really?" Hiroki's hands flew to his face, and Shinji laughed at him. "At least I don't have to explain it away to Seto and Iijima! Whatever _will_ they think?"

"Bollocks..." Shinji glanced behind him, half expecting one of them to come running down the stairs to find him. He looked back at Hiroki, eyes bright, the mechanisms of his quick mind spinning like flywheels. "When can you come back?"

Hiroki sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, that depends..."

"...on whether you find Chigusa and Kotohiki, right?" finished Shinji bluntly.

He shrugged apologetically. "Yeah."

Shinji wasn't giving up. "Can you make it tonight? The island's small enough."

Hiroki bit his lip. He didn't say anything for a while.

"If you can," said Shinji slowly, "then come tonight. But if not... I know how important Chigusa is to you. I'll understand."

"Takako's just a friend!" Hiroki told him firmly. Shinji raised an eyebrow. "No, really!" he persisted. "I love Takako, I really do, but not like _that_."

_Whatever._ But it was a nice thought, not to have to think about holding his own against Class B's track star. There was no way in hell Shinji would be able to compete with legs like that. He laughed inwardly at himself. Competing for Hiroki's affections? Weird. "Well, okay then," he answered Hiroki, humouring him. "Remember, come if you can. No pressure, right?"

"Agreed."

Shinji ran up the stairs, not even looking back at Hiroki. He was secretly scared that if he did, he would just stay there for a long time. Maybe not forever, but close enough. But he told himself he rushed because of Yutaka. He didn't want to worry him or anything, right? Hiroki watched as the door closed behind him, and he could hear the faint buzz of conversation, and then left.

----------------------------------------------------

_There's so much that time, time and memory fade away_  
_We got our own roads to ride, chances we gotta take._

Yutaka and Keita were playing cards when Shinji burst through the door. At least they hadn't gone looking for him. His eyes opened incredulously. _What? What the hell am I thinking? "At least they didn't go looking for me"? Stop thinking about your damn love life. I should be grateful they weren't screwing with the laptop!_

"Hey," said Yutaka, not looking up from his hand. "Go fish," he said to Keita.

"Gonna tell us what you're doing yet?" asked Keita casually.

Shinji just stared. Everything finally sank in, like some kind of delayed reaction. He practically exploded. "What the fuck are you _on_? How did you know it was me and not some maniac with a gun?" he roared. "For heaven's sake, I can't do everything for you!"

Even Keita had the grace to look ashamed, and Yutaka stammered at him. "I-sorry-we weren't thinking-"

"That much is obvious," he retorted, calmer now, but still annoyed. He told himself it was just because Yutaka seemed to think he was all-powerful or something. _So what, am I supposed to be fucking flattered_? "Well make sure you think next time," he muttered, and sat down in front of the laptop.

Shinji cracked his knuckles with a (somewhat annoyed) flourish, and began to type rapidly, thinking about Hiroki all the while. Did he really want to see him again? _If someone had told me I'd end up in a more meaningful relationship with Hiroki Sugimura than I've ever wanted with any girl, I'd have beaten the crap out of them. Then again, had anyone told me I'd end up in this sodding Program, I probably wouldn't have believed them either_. Words and figures flashed on the screen in front of his eyes, illuminating his vivid face with their unnatural glow. Wait, backtrack a few seconds. "Relationship"? So he now had a relationship with Hiroki? Just because of one kiss? Well, several kisses. Call it an encounter. One encounter makes a relationship? _Well, yeah_, thought Shinji. _It always did with me_. Ah. But what about Chigusa and Kotohiki? He was looking for them too, presumably to do the same thing. Chigusa was a very sexy girl, even if she did have orange-streaked hair and dress like a jewellery shop advert. She had the face, she had the legs, she had the proud, untouchable attitude that drives guys wild. It was no wonder Hiroki was into her. So were most of the guys in Class B, to some degree. Even Shinji himself had fantasised about Takako Chigusa. Hiroki swore blind that they were just friends. The hell did Shinji believe him. And Chigusa seemed to be into him too. Not that he blamed her. Hiroki had a certain... quality about him. Not to mention that chest...

_Anyway, stop thinking about Hiroki's chest, dammit, you're straight_... Oh God. Wasn't he?

Moving on.

What about Kotohiki? She wasn't exactly a looker, but then again neither was Izumi, and Yutaka was crazy about her. It was probably better not to ask. All part of the 'love' thing. That elite club where all Shinji could do was look in through the windows and wonder what everyone was doing. It reminded him of the time he'd watched a foreign movie without dubbing or subtitles and he had to guess what was happening constantly. It wasn't really a nice feeling.

As he hit the 'download' button and sat back to wait, he came to the conclusion that he would just be some kind of fuck-buddy to Hiroki (although it hadn't got that far yet) and he may as well accept it. Fuck-buddy. Damn, he hadn't heard that in a long time. Not since... what was her name? Mizu-something. Some girl he'd slept with anyway. Funnily enough, the only requirement of that relationship was that it was in no way serious. Strictly fuck-buddies. Her words. So Shinji had taken it literally and carried on as normal. He felt a pang of shame as he realised what she must have felt when she found out he was playing around with other girls. He hadn't done it out of malice or anything; the way he saw it, it was okay because she'd said it wasn't serious anyway. _How was I to know that girls never mean what they say_? he thought, with a touch of anger at the justification. He didn't have the experience. He was always the player, never the played. The Third Man never let himself get in deep enough to be played.

"Uh, Shinji?"

"Huh?" Yutaka was staring concernedly at him.

"Are you okay?" Yutaka may not have been able to swim, or type (_or catch_, he thought, half-amused), but he was a genuinely nice guy, and clueless as he was, he noticed when it counted. "Did something happen when you were gone?" he asked carefully.

_Oh shit, he knows_! But he shook that thought out of his head immediately. Of course he didn't know. _He's Yutaka, he's worried. Is it really that unusual_? "No, I'm fine," he answered, trying to keep his voice as normal as possible. "Thanks for caring, all the same."

"Are you ready to tell us this great plan of yours yet?" asked Keita. It seemed to have been all he'd talked about since he found out Shinji had one.

"As a matter of fact," said Shinji, grinning in self-pride, "I am." Okay, layman's terms as far as possible, or else Yutaka wouldn't understand.

"Right." He took a deep breath, trying to work out the best way to phrase it. "I'm downloading a little something that's gonna help us get out of this hellhole."

"And what would that be?"

_None of your fucking business, Iijima, but I'm gonna tell you anyway_. "Virus." His eyes glittered evilly. "It'll drive 'em crazy! It'll temporarily override commands, and disable the collars and danger zones for a while." Shinji sniggered, as he prepared to unveil his touch of unique Third Man genius. "And it'll play the Star-Spangled Banner on repeat. They'll love it!" Well hey, even the class basketball genius and expert hacker was allowed to be immature sometimes. He was a teenager after all. He decided to leave it at that; Yutaka wouldn't exactly want to know (or understand) the ins and outs, how he hooked up the laptop to his mobile phone to get the internet, etc.

"What do we do after that?" asked Yutaka. Thankfully, it looked like Shinji wouldn't have to explain any further. Yutaka appeared to have understood; or at least he was hiding it well if he didn't. You never knew with Yutaka.

"What do we do then?" he spat, for some reason suddenly furious. "We get our asses down to the school and pay that Sakamochi bastard back for all of this." For all the death. For all the pain. For all the sadness they'd have to live with for the rest of their lives, however long or short they may be.

For making Hiroki kiss him, goddammit!


	4. Overwhelming Odds

Chapter 4

_I own nothing and nobody. That sounds kinda sad, ne? But true. Koushun Takami owns them all. Dammit. And again, sorry for the long-ness. I didn't originally write this in chapters._

Hiroki was thinking too. He had to watch where he was running, and occasionally had to check the little handheld radar he'd received as a weapon, to make sure he was still on the trail of the signal on the screen, but he somehow found the time and energy to think as well.

He thought about the star-icon on the liquid crystal screen. Was it Takako or Kayoko, or someone completely different? He thought about how lonely it was running alone like this. And no matter how much he told himself he wouldn't, he thought about Shinji. And when he thought about Shinji, he thought about Kayoko. He was searching for Takako as well, of course, her being his best friend since forever and all. Hiroki hadn't been lying when he told Shinji he didn't like her in _that_ way. It was Kayoko he was after for _that_ reason.

_I'll work it out when I find her_, he told himself. He was just putting it off, he knew that. Putting off the moment when he'd have to choose between Shinji and Kayoko. _No_, he thought, _I'm giving myself time to think so I can make a sensible and informed decision_. It sounded bad even to him. But he knew there was a grain of truth in there, which made him even more disgusted.

Hiroki glanced down at his radar. Yes, the little icon was still there. He was catching up now. But, if his memory didn't fail him (and it didn't), then whoever it was had better move out pretty sharpish if they wanted to avoid showing what those collars could do. This area would become a danger zone very soon, and he shuddered at the thought of it. He carried on regardless, not fearing for his own safety. He knew he could make it. He had a duty to perform.

Leaping over the wall like a cat, he scanned the surrounding scenery until he was satisfied there was no-one there. Nothing but houses and silence, and just enough threat of danger to be a thrill. He smiled to himself. Maybe there was something in this 'living-by-instinct' thing after all. He'd be quick though. He'd be absolutely no help to Takako or Kayoko if he was dead. Or Shinji-

No, dammit! Not Shinji! I know where he is, and he can take care of himself! Concentrate on Takako and Kayoko now. Shinji can wait, at least until tonight!

He had become quite adept at reading the radar while moving, so finding the exact house posed no problem. There was even a broken window to help lead him in the right direction. He jumped deftly through it, landing felinely on all fours. But he didn't stop a moment. Sneaking silently, his back to the wall, the handle of a broom in his hand held like a jitte fighting staff, he prowled the house. He didn't notice the smell of blood until it was almost unbearable.

_Oh God, no_.

He reached the doorway into the room where the stench was at its heaviest. Steeling himself for the worst, he peered round the doorframe, only to jump back in shock. Legs. And a skirt. And blood. Lots of blood. It was a girl... _Please not Kayoko, please not Takako. Anyone but them_. He felt sick to his stomach as he took slow, deliberate steps on trembling legs into the room. _Too small to be Takako... Kayoko_...?

Hiroki could see her face now. Her eyes were wide open in terror, and she was dead, lying in a pool of congealing blood. It was Megumi Eto. _Not Kayoko_, he thought, and a smile of relief tugged at his lips. It was extinguished quickly. Megumi was here, dead, with her throat slit, and he was relieved it wasn't Kayoko? What kind of sick animal was he anyway? Someone was dead, killed by one of his own classmates!

So he gritted his teeth, held his sleeve to his nose, and crept warily towards Megumi's body to close her eyes, which turned out to be quite difficult. She must have been dead a while. He couldn't take his eyes off the gaping wound in her neck. Who the hell would do something like that? It couldn't have been in self- defence; Megumi was a mouse. But this game changed everyone... He knew he'd never forgive himself if Takako or Kayoko suffered such a death. _Or Shinji_, added the little voice in his head that seemed to be obsessed with him. _Nah, Shinji can't die_, he assured himself. _Whoever heard of the Third Man dying? It's not in his nature_. Checking his watch, Hiroki decided it would be a good idea to leave now, so he said a quick prayer for Megumi's soul and darted off again to find the next little signal on his radar and continue his search.

He cleared the area with seconds to spare.

----------------------------------------------------

_Now the hardness of this world slowly grinds your dreams away.  
__Making a fool's joke out of the promises we make_.

The computer beeped. "Cool, is it done?" Yutaka was all excitement. Even Keita looked hopeful.

However, Shinji didn't share their enthusiasm. "Fuck," he swore, and slammed into Yutaka, knocking him out of the way. He started to type in a panic, sweat running down his face. "No, no, no," he whispered. He threw himself backwards, hands over his face in disgust. He hadn't been able to save it. The words 'Download aborted' flashed on the screen.

"Hey, I didn't touch anything!" protested Yutaka.

Shinji didn't appear to have heard. "No, no, fucking no!"

"Uh... Shinji?" Keita looked nervous. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

_Of course you'd be bothered. I get the feeling you're only using me for this plan anyway._ "Damn right, something's wrong. Some fucking bastard cut the connection!"

"How?!"

_Fuck, Yutaka, don't have a heart attack_, he thought, overriding the fact that he himself was getting worked up about it. "Don't ask me!" _That's what I want to know_. Seriously, how could they have known what he was doing? It couldn't possibly have been an accident, his hacking was flawless. His uncle had taught him well. But how?

He ran through the possibilities. Spies? No way; pointless and dangerous. Cameras? Maybe. But the sodding Program wasn't televised. Would they really go through all the bother of rigging up God-knows how many cameras in each location they used, and then taking them all down again just to make sure people like him (and how many of them were there?) didn't escape? A possibility, but he didn't think it likely. They'd have to have hundreds of them, all over the place, and watching them all would be hell. What about microphones? Same problem.

Unless--

Shinji froze.

----------------------------------------------------

The signal was moving pretty quickly across the screen. The fact that Takako was star of the track team crossed and re-crossed his mind, but he fought it down. She wouldn't be the only one running, not here. The little star symbol was moving fast, _but still_, he thought. _I don't even know if it's a boy or girl_.

But whoever it was was slowing down, and eventually stopped. That set alarm bells ringing, although it could just be that they'd found a safe place to hide. No. It was completely out in the open. Hiroki forced himself to run faster.

He was half-glad that he did, because as it turned out, the little star icon on his radar was Takako Chigusa. And he half-regretted it, because she was dying. He regretted not having run faster the whole way. Hiroki rushed to her side, realising that although she was still alive when he found her, she wouldn't stay that way for long. He somehow managed to hold himself from crying. Takako had never had any patience with his tears. She must have sensed him coming, because she opened her eyes to gaze up into his face. She'd been shot in the back.

It broke his heart to see her like that. She was supposed to be the strong one, the girl with fierce eyes who told him boys don't cry. Well, here he was, not crying.

"Hiroki?" said Takako weakly. "That you?"

"It's really me," he replied, smiling at her. She returned it. "I waited for you, but you ran off so fast." He couldn't stop the mild rebuke from slipping in.

"I know."

God, even now she was comforting him. "Who got you?" he asked shakily. Cold as it sounded, it was important.

"Mitsuko," came the answer. She paused. "Hiroki, do you like anyone?"

Ah. Single-minded as ever. How had he not seen that one coming? "Yes," he replied, deliberately leaving it short and unexplanatory to give him time. _How do I get out of this one_? Takako was always on at him, wanting to know who he liked.

"Not me, right?"

_Okay, I wasn't expecting that_. As much as he didn't really want to, truth won out over compromise. He smiled sadly at her. "No, it's not," he said softly.

She took it in her stride; he knew she would. But what she said next brought tears to his eyes, and he tried to blink them away quick before she noticed. "Then stay with me like this." He didn't blink quick enough; and she added, "It won't be long."

_Way to go to break my heart, Takako_. Even the voice in his head was thick with tears. What could he say to that? He stayed with her, not saying a word because there were none to be said, her head on his lap. She wouldn't last much longer, that much was clear now.

"Hiroki," she said suddenly, "you grew up to be quite a stud."

"And you're the coolest girl in the world." His voice was raw and heavy with emotion, but she didn't seem to notice. She looked quite contented as she closed her eyes.

Hiroki was still crying when he forced himself to get up and carry on.


	5. Adversaries

Chapter 5

One thing Shinji Mimura prided himself on was his ability to think on his feet and work under pressure. Yutaka was still watching him expectantly. Keita was staring off into space, apparently sulking and waiting for him to come up with the answer. Well, screw Keita. Not like Shinji liked him anyway. Let Yutaka explain to him, as soon as he'd made sure he was right. And he had an amusing and novel way to find out.

"Hey, Yutaka, there's a bug on your neck," he said casually. The expression on Yutaka's face was almost comical. No, scratch that, it was downright hilarious. Yutaka had never liked insects, not since Shinji had first met him, and probably even before that.

"What?" He was so panicked, it took everything Shinji had not to burst out laughing. "Where?!"

"Here, I'll get it." The sight of Yutaka keeping meticulously still, not even daring to move his eyes almost set him off, as he moved over to him. It would have been a good joke if it hadn't been so important. But he stopped himself from laughing and concentrated on Yutaka's collar. There was no bug, not in the insect sense. But there may have been another kind.

_Found it_.

He was right. The collars were equipped with microphones. They'd been listening to every word he said. He was working in overdrive. Couldn't they set the collars off at any time, regardless of where you were? _Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. On the upside, we're still here. But I should have been a lot more careful_.

They were safe for now, as much as this situation could be considered safe. He'd have to think of another plan yet, show those mother fuckers that they couldn't keep _him_ down with their backstabbing techniques.

But first, he should probably tell Yutaka about the whole microphone thing. So he searched through his pack, pulled out his map and a pencil, and settled down to write a note.

----------------------------------------------------

The way Mitsuko approached him, all big eyes and coy movements, you'd think butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Had Hiroki not heard (and seen) from Takako exactly what she could do, he didn't doubt that he'd have been taken in by her 'scared defenceless damsel' routine. He guessed, from the surprise evident in her face, that she'd been following him, but he'd unwittingly caught her off-guard with his sharp about-turn. Hiroki was going back to see Shinji.

He'd got up and turned around, only to be confronted by a blinking, scared-looking Mitsuko. She held a gun loosely in her hand. Hiroki didn't waste a moment, but lunged at her and snatched it off her (she wasn't pointing it). Well fair enough, so she wasn't pointing it. It was always better to be safe than sorry with a snake like her.

Mitsuko looked shocked that her gun had suddenly disappeared, but wasn't put off. She burst into tears. "Hiroki," she wailed. "Don't kill me, please, I'm so scared!"

But his heart was already hardened towards her. "You killed Takako," he stated flatly. He aimed the gun at her, and she fell to her knees.

"She attacked me! I- what was I supposed to do? I didn't mean to-"

"Save it," he lashed back.

She shut up then. Mitsuko looked so terrified, her huge eyes brimming with tears, sweat streaming down her beautiful face, that for a second Hiroki wondered whether she was still acting. _Well stop wondering, you fool, it doesn't matter either way!_ "Please don't kill me," she whispered.

He glared at her, his dark eyes stone cold to show her he wasn't falling for her pleading. _Not like I can bring myself to kill anyone anyway. But I'll at least make sure you don't kill anyone else_. "Fine," he said slowly. "But I'm keeping this." He waved the gun, and she flinched, as if expecting him to shoot her.

Screw this, Hiroki had better things to do than hang around here threatening Mitsuko Souma. Throwing her one last death-stare, he turned and walked away. _I have to find Shinji, make sure he's okay. I can't be too late, like I was with Takako_. He broke into a run.

Not for long. A sharp, hot pain pierced his shoulder, and he cried out, stumbling. Mitsuko leapt at him, knocking him to the ground. "What the-?!"

"That wasn't my weapon," she hissed into his ear. The pain increased and spread downwards as Mitsuko pulled out what she had thrown at him, viciously tearing a diagonal slash across his back as she did so. "_This_ is." The silver, curved blade of a small sickle waved in front of his eyes. It was dripping with his blood.

He could only gasp in reply. "Bitch!" She stopped toying with him; wrestling the gun from his slack grip and racing off. Hiroki just lay, panting, for about a minute. _This is going to be fun_, he thought, dragging himself upright. He reached his arm back to see if it was serious, but the movement ripped through his torn muscles. He let out a yell. There was no way he was doing that again.

_I'll just ignore it until I find Shinji_, he told himself.

And off he ran again, blood soaking the back of his school coat.

----------------------------------------------------

"So what do you propose we do now?"

"Shut the fuck up, Iijima." Shinji was in no mood to feign politeness. "I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas.

Yutaka butted in, ever the peacemaker. "Keita didn't mean it like that, Shinji, did you? Come on, we're all stressed. Just calm down, and we'll work it out together."

Shinji couldn't stop a smile. Yutaka played his role well, although the naiveté was probably real. The twelve o clock broadcast interrupted him, and Sakamochi's magnified voice told the island who had died in the last six hours. The conversational tone of voice he used set Shinji's hackles bristling, but his thoughts were halted when he heard, "Girl 13, Takako Chigusa."

"Oh no."

Yutaka turned worried eyes on him. "Wasn't Hiroki--?"

"Yes." His throat was dry as he listened to the rest of the broadcast, but Hiroki's name wasn't mentioned. He started to breathe again.

There were a few moments of heavy silence, when each one of them was confronted with those secret thoughts they'd tried so hard for the last day to hide and ignore. Then Yutaka spoke up in a small voice. "Do you think he's okay?"

Shinji sighed. "I don't know." He chewed the end of his pencil. "But we can't think about that. Think about what we can do now." Escaping the island was out of the question. But maybe they could still wreak a bit of havoc. The spark had lit the fire; Shinji grabbed his scribbled-on map and began to write furiously. He wrote a list of things for Yutaka and Keita to get, adding a note on the bottom, "_I'll tell you later_," as an afterthought.

Surprisingly, they went without much fuss. Maybe they were so desperate they'd just cling onto the slightest scrap of hope offered to them. Shinji was working out the fine-tuning of the new plan when he heard the door go. Not as trusting as Yutaka or Keita, he had his gun ready and his finger on the trigger. The pure power and potential in that trigger was overwhelming.

"Put it down, Shin-chan," said Hiroki. He was smiling faintly even though he looked exhausted. "I was only kidding about the 'chan'," he added, seeing Shinji's surprise.

"That was quick," was all he could manage.

"I guess so."

Now he had to ask The Question. "Did you find Chigusa?" It was perhaps the most uncomfortable question possible, but Hiroki took it quite well.

"Yeah." The floor seemed to be captivating him; at least he was staring at it intensely.

"I'm really sorry," said Shinji softly. "You guys were so close." He put an arm around Hiroki's shoulders.

Hiroki blinked. When he trusted himself enough to speak, his voice was thick with emotion. "No, it's okay-"

"Hey!" Shinji pulled his arm away and stared at his hand. It was dripping red. _Oops_, thought Hiroki. "What the hell happened?" He looked furious.

"Um..." He shrugged and winced. It hurt. _I feel like sashimi_.

"Turn around," ordered Shinji. Hiroki obeyed sheepishly. "Take off the coat." He did so. Blood covered his back. "Lose the shirt." Wow, how long had he wanted to say that? Hiroki hesitated, but slipped off the blood-soaked material. _Funny how I never took the time to enjoy the simple things, falling in love, admiring Hiroki's body, etc. Then this sodding Program comes along, the worst thing that could possibly have happened, and now is the time I choose to evaluate my life? Sad_. He realised that martial arts was indeed good for your body. He also realised, when he saw the slash across Hiroki's back, that he didn't have a clue what to do. Here was one area his uncle had neglected to teach him. "It's not deep," he conceded finally.

"I could have told you that," grumbled Hiroki. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Whatever. What actually happened?" Shinji hunted around the room for something, anything he could use. "Take a seat if you want."

"You're cute when you're all concerned and caring, you know."

"Fuck off!" He glared at Hiroki. "Tell me what happened."

Hiroki sat on the floor with his legs crossed, Zen Buddhist style. "I was on my way back here when I... bumped into Mitsuko Souma."

"Oh hell," said Shinji, grinning wickedly. "She didn't rape you, did she?"

"Idiot." Hiroki grinned back. "She had a gun, so I took it and was continuing on my merry way when she threw a sickle at me, got the gun back and ran off."

Shinji sat down behind him with a bottle of water and strips of material he had salvaged. It was the best he could do. "The great Hiroki Sugimura, black belt in kung-fu, beaten by a girl."

"This is Mitsuko Souma we're talking about, not just a girl." Hiroki turned his head around to look at Shinji, only to cry out in pain and return to his former position. "Look, this has got to be a lot of hassle for you, Shinji... Why don't you just leave it and carry on with that computer thing of yours? I can handle a little pain."

"The plan was sabotaged by Sakamochi, I'm guessing. And if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were scared I'd hurt you." He paused. "You're not, are you?"

"Maybe a little... I don't really like pain."

"Shut up and let me do it." He started to clean the wound anyway. "Anyway, I would have fallen for Mitsuko as well."

"Watch it, that's cold," complained Hiroki. "And I didn't 'fall for her'!"

"You turned your back on her," he pointed out. "It was hardly a smart move."

Hiroki ducked his head as much as he dared. "I didn't know she had another weapon... I'd taken the gun..." He was embarrassed at being caught out over such a stupid assumption. And by a girl! Even Mitsuko Souma.

"Don't be like that. You'll just have to be more careful next time. Anyone could have done it. Anyway, I'm done now."

_You can probably tell that this wasn't originally written in chapters. But thanks for the reviews XD they are very appreciated. Next chapter coming soon, promise. With maybe more action _


	6. Gameplan

Chapter 6

_A/N: Almost done . In response to Silver Salamander (my new best friend XD thanks for the encouragement!!) this is based partly on the film (Hiroki seeing Shinji and co.) and partly on the book (Shinji's big 'I hate Yutaka' thing and Yutaka's obsession with Izumi) As to the ending... alas, you'll have to wait :P_

When Keita and Yutaka returned, laden with everything Shinji had sent them for, Hiroki's wound was cleaned and bandaged, and Shinji had (non-verbally) explained the microphone situation to Hiroki.

Hey Shinji," called Keita. "We got everything you said. Where do you want us to-" He stopped. "Um... Hi Sugimura."

"Yo."

Shinji gestured furiously for silence, and Yutaka elbowed Keita roughly, and he put a hand over his mouth and shut up. _Good thing he didn't mention anything I sent him for. Although that might have possibly justified my shooting him..._

"What are you doing back?" asked Yutaka. You could trust him to make anyone feel welcome.

Hiroki smiled sheepishly, but Shinji spared him any further humiliation. "He had an unfortunate run-in with Mitsuko."

Yutaka hissed in sympathy.

"Don't worry," he reassured him. "He's all cleaned up now."

This, as he'd wickedly predicted, made Yutaka open his eyes wide in curiosity and horror. "She hurt him???"

Hiroki grinned. "Yeah. I'm fine though."

Yutaka only looked slightly relieved. "Hey, did Hiroki-"

"_Yes_, Yutaka." Shinji had known Yutaka long enough to be able to recognise his well-meaning face. And to know that well meaning in this case would be to put two and two together and ask how Takako was.

Hiroki was aware too what Shinji had spared him this time, and shot a smile at him. Shinji wasn't looking, but it was the thought that counted.

----------------------------------------------------

"We bomb the school?" wrote Keita sceptically. Up until now, Shinji hadn't thought it possible to write sceptically. He had been oh so wrong. Keita was _so_ good at it.

He was explaining the entire plan to them all. They bomb the school. Simple. He had a detonator his uncle had left him, and Yutaka and Keita had just fetched everything they'd need to make a bomb. He'd decided on a rope and pulley system, launch the bomb and cut the rope when it was over the school.

"HOW?"

_Your vote of confidence is overwhelming, Keita_.

But he'd thought of that too. Tie a rope to a tree down here; use the handy mountaintop near the school and gravity would do the rest. Of course, the rope would snag on trees, so they'd use balloons to get it above the trees and pull it along.

It took a while for him to convince Keita that even if Keita himself didn't understand, Shinji had thought about everything and it would work. He'd given up on Yutaka a long time ago, as had Yutaka himself. Hiroki just sat and was quiet. Technical stuff and plans weren't his thing.

And then it was all sorted. Nothing for it now but to make the bomb.

Shinji even admitted to himself that he was scared to start. If he started, then he'd have to finish. And he knew somehow that this would be no bedtime story. The ending might be really really bad.

----------------------------------------------------

There was only the quiet hum of the laptop. Shinji glanced over to the others, all curled up on the floor. He'd told them to get some sleep. Forced them really. Hiroki because he was injured. Keita so he didn't have to put up with him for a while. Yutaka so he didn't screw anything up.

But Shinji couldn't sleep. If he took his eye off it for one minute something would go wrong. He just knew it. Better to stay awake, though he was getting pretty tired. He wanted to sleep forever. But he knew that if he lost his focus for a minute, then he could.

Six feet below the ground.

But then again, if he worked while he was tired, he'd be more likely to make mistakes. Better to take ten minutes out than make a stupid mistake that might take an hour to put right.

No, dammit! He couldn't afford to sleep! So Shinji did what he always did when he wanted to do something that the sensible part of his mind forbade. He compromised with himself. He would take a break. But he wouldn't sleep.

----------------------------------------------------

Hiroki opened his eyes. Damn Shinji, telling him to rest. Not like he could get comfortable anyway. Damn Mitsuko. He'd ended up on his back with his arm half twisted under him to take pressure off his wound. Damn Shinji, damn damn damn! Taking on all the goddamned work by himself. Idiot.

"Shinji!"

Shinji was watching him, lying stretched out on his side, his chin leaning on his hand. God, how long had Shinji _been_ watching him??

"So, you're awake." Hiroki had never heard that voice sound so gentle. It suggested he was smiling. He wasn't, not in the explicit way, but his whole face was suggesting he was smiling.

"You were watching me sleep?" He was aware it seemed as though he was hung up on that. Shinji was watching him sleep. That was... weird.

"You're cute when you sleep, did you know that?"

Dammit, he could _feel_ himself blushing. "You were watching me sleep!" He stopped. "For how long?"

There it was. That cocky, all-knowing, never-telling grin of his. "I came to see you to make sure you were okay," he murmured softly. "And then..." He had a way of trailing his voice off that made unspeakable thoughts rise in Hiroki's mind. And thoughts weren't the only thing rising. It was somewhere in the way his voice draped over him like silk and dragged across his bare skin.

"And then what?" His own voice was shaking.

Hiroki caught sight of the glitter in his eye, and knew instantly how he was feeling. And what he meant. "And then," he purred, "I couldn't tear myself away."

Then he was leaning over Hiroki, and Hiroki's body began to tremble of its own accord. Shinji kissed the tip of his nose.

Hiroki couldn't help it. He leaned up automatically, propping himself up on his arms, and reached in for a deeper kiss. And he wasn't disappointed; Shinji was only too happy to oblige, and surreptitiously sat on his stomach, placing a leg either side of Hiroki. Some part of him told him that this would look very suspicious to anyone who may happen to wake up, but the rest of him didn't care. Neither did Shinji, apparently.

His eyes widened momentarily as his shirt was slipped off by gentle hands, but relaxed luxuriously when he felt those hands running over his skin. No one had ever touched him like this before. He liked it.

Shinji was thoroughly enjoying himself. He thanked every god he'd ever heard of that Hiroki had trained in martial arts; the feel of those sure muscles beneath his sensitive fingertips quivering with emotion was intoxicating.

And Shinji was drunk on it.

Neither of them spoke. Maybe because Hiroki couldn't catch his breath long enough to form sentences. Maybe because Shinji was drowning in thoughts that at any other time would have been taboo. Maybe because actions speak louder than words.

"Shinji," panted Hiroki in between gasps. "Do you know what you're doing...?"

His answer was a finger to his lips, and a smile that would have shut him up anyway.

"Trust me," whispered the other.

It wasn't a trust issue. Hiroki wasn't worried for himself. He was discovering parts of himself he'd thought had either died or never existed. Hiroki was worried Shinji was acting on impulse, and he'd regret it later.

With something this good, there had to be a catch. But what was it?

"Stop thinking," urged Shinji. "_Feel_."

There was a point. Why ruin a moment that might be ruined later? And if it wasn't...

Hiroki put a hand behind Shinji's head, and another on his back, and pulled him down, so the other boy was laying flat on top of him.

When they both got up later, flushed and breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat and half guilty looks on their faces, Hiroki wasn't the only one missing his clothing.

----------------------------------------------------

_And it's a ride, ride, ride, and there ain't much cover,  
__With no one runnin' by your side, my blood brother._

Hiroki left the next day. Guilt had got the better of him, and he was going to find Kotohiki. She was just a helpless girl, after all. Even if he had already chosen, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he left her to die out there.

Shinji didn't fuss, or try to make him stay, just let him walk away to do what he had to do. He knew now. He knew that now he couldn't be alone, even if he wanted to. Hiroki had to find Kotohiki, just like Shinji had to see his plan through to the end. _I have my path, he has his. Simple as that_.

They barely said goodbye, but that may have been because every time Hiroki looked at Shinji, he blushed faintly. And when Hiroki blushed, Shinji imagined how it would spread down his chest under his clothes, as it had last night. And when Shinji thought about Hiroki's chest, he could find little room to think of anything else.

Yutaka saw him off, cheerful as ever, saying how when the school exploded he'd have to bring Kotohiki and find them again, so they could all escape together. Well, that's what he was going to say, but Shinji gave him a clip round the ear before he got that far. _Honestly, why do I bother telling them these things?_ he thought, not really angry. _Not like they listen to me. And what if we're sabotaged now?_ Keita remained his usual annoying single-minded self. _Remind me to shoot that guy before the game's over_, thought Shinji grimly.

He should have known better, there was no doubt about it. Things like that have a habit of coming back and biting people in the ass. But he didn't know that yet.

Hiroki waved once, before disappearing into the undergrowth. "Do you think he'll find her?" asked Yutaka wistfully. He was still thinking of Izumi, wondering whether he'd have done the same thing for her.

Shinji flashed a lopsided grin at him. "He will. Thinking about Izumi?"

"Yeah."

"She's happier now, I bet." Much as he was a fuck-up, Shinji really liked Yutaka. Seeing him upset was upsetting; like kicking a puppy. "She'll be watching you too."

That perked him up. "You think?"

"Does the Third Man think? He _knows_."

The cheesiness was worth it, just for the look on Yutaka's face.


	7. Endgame

Epilogue

_A/N: I'm quite sad now; I have no other projects going at the moment –cries- and now this is the end. Here we go. I'm not too sure if this worked. Maybe it's because I'm just sentimental, but I sort of wanted to leave them still happy. So this is just future-talk. If that makes sense. I also... borrowed the "everything that happens stays happened" from Paulo Coelho and the karma thing from Shogun. Great book, that (possibilty for next fic?). And on with the end._

_On through the houses of the dead, past those fallen in their tracks.  
__Always movin' ahead, and never lookin' back._

But they were only dancing in the dark, as the song goes, and they both knew it. Just fumbling around in this hell for something to hold on to, and they found each other. Who knew if it would have happened under normal circumstances? It didn't matter, because reality is reality. "The only certainty in life is that no one can predict the future and what's happened stays happened," Shinji's uncle told him once.

There was some reason why it had happened like this, why it could only have happened now. Something neither of them really saw, though Hiroki had a better idea of it than Shinji. Something deeper than desperation and sharper than need. That woman at Shinji's uncle's funeral had told him that his uncle had worried about him. What were her words? That he'd never know love from the heart, only lust from the loins. But what did that matter now? He knew Hiroki, and that was enough for him.

Shinji's plan would never be carried out. Kiriyama would find them first, and in a last, superhuman effort, Shinji's bomb would be used to blow up their hideout, and stop Kiriyama. _Figures, _he'd think. _Some quirk of chance ruins my whole plan. After so much trouble, the class psycho comes along and puts an end to everything like it didn't matter. _He would see the ironically funny side, bleeding from countless gunshot wounds, ears numbed from the blast. _It would have worked. Hear that Yutaka? It would have worked! _That had to count for something, right? As he bled out his life on the floor, he would remember, and think that maybe he wasn't such a bad failure after all, and he'd die with a small, knowing smile on his face. What was the 'love' thing compared with Hiroki?

Hiroki too would face Kiriyama, in the island's lighthouse, and he'd escape somehow with his life. He would continue searching, every false alarm and encounter taking more and more away from him. Weary and wounded, he'd finally find Kotohiki, only for her to panic and fatally shoot him. He wouldn't be angry, or even disappointed.

_Karma is karma._ That was essential martial arts training. But as he comforted her with the last he had, he'd be thinking of Shinji, and how although he'd let down the two he'd sought the most, at least he'd found someone. He'd remember finding Shinji's body, but he'd also remember that small smile that was purely for him. He'd know that he made a difference. That they'd both made a difference. To the Program.

To each other.

And he wouldn't mind dying so much.

_And now the stars are burning bright, like some mystery uncovered.  
__I'll keep movin' through the dark, with you in my heart, my blood brother._

-END-

_Thank you everyone who got this far, and especially Silver Salamander, without whom I probably would have just forgotten this fic._


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